In their homeland of Burma, Zai Tin Mavei and Thluai Hnem Sung were expert horticulturalists.
The women maintained robust gardens in their back yards and spent their lives sowing and reaping produce on acres of additional farmland.

Charlotte Harbin stretches her bow across the four strings of the ancient cello.
The musician's fingers step smoothly, pressing and sliding along the instrument's fingerboard, and deep, rich notes resonate in the small dining room.

Bored is not an option. During spring break, Amarillo offers plenty of activities to keep children and families entertained - all for a minimal cost. This week, Get Out! has compiled a sampling of spring break offerings from local organizations.

For some, winter means zipping down a snow-covered mountainside in exhilarating motion. Cold-weather sports enthusiasts from Amarillo trek to neighboring states to savor a day on the ski slopes. But first, skiers must gear up.

Before the "I dos" and the "I now pronounce you," brides- and grooms-to-be have much to accomplish. Next weekend, engaged couples can peruse two reception halls full of wedding-related displays at The Bridal Show of Amarillo.

Simple toys. Warm clothes. Household essentials.
This Christmas morning, due to the generosity of Texas Panhandle donors, gifts like these were unwrapped by hundreds of area residents living within strapped budgets in difficult circumstances.

Empty Stocking Fund Recipient No. 28 lives in shadows. Her eyesight is failing due to diabetes. She lives with a caretaker who guides her around the house and provides transportation.
The woman also has kidney failure and high blood pressure.

Disease threatens to take away one man's passion.
Empty Stocking Fund Recipient No. 26 enjoys working with his hands, helping others with household projects. But the onset of Parkinson's disease and arthritis restricts his abilities.

Empty Stocking Fund Recipient No. 23 relies on one government check per month, requiring him to stretch and scrimp to manage day-to-day living.
The man's Supplemental Security Income, totaling $721 a month, is his only source of income.

Three generations living under one roof has strained one single-income family's finances this season.
Empty Stocking Fund Recipients No. 16 are grandparents raising their 7-year-old granddaughter while also caring for their aging parents.

Hardship is plentiful for one Amarillo family of six, but hope and perseverance keep them strong together.
Empty Stocking Fund Recipients No. 14 are parents of four.
The children, three sons and a daughter, range in age from 7 to 17.

Becoming a widow at a young age is a tragic reality for 23-year-old Empty Stocking Fund Recipient No. 13.
The young woman's husband recently died of cancer, and the grieving widow now raises her two children, two boys ages 3 and 7, on a scant salary.

Young parents striving to improve their family are in need of a boost this holiday season.
Empty Stocking Recipients No. 11 are a husband, 27, and wife, 24, raising two children, ages 6 and 7, one of whom is severely disabled.

Mental disabilities limit but don't discourage one Amarillo couple. Empty Stocking Fund Recipients No. 10 are a husband and wife who suffer from intellectual challenges yet contribute to the community.
The man works at a local grocery store.

Unemployment. Trauma. Expensive medical costs. These factors and others are battering one Amarillo family this season.
Empty Stocking Fund Recipient No. 9 is a disabled and out-of-work father caring for his 14-year-old daughter.

One elderly man, suffering from a terminal illness, is asking for a few basic items for Christmas this year.
Empty Stocking Fund Recipient No. 8 is a 70-year-old who lives with his daughter on a fixed income.

A teenager and a 5-year-old have little hope of a bountiful Christmas morning this year.
Their mother currently is in jail, and the boys are living with their aging grandmother.
Empty Stocking Fund Recipient No.

A fall earlier this year left one elderly woman unconscious and in the hospital for a month.
She and her husband, Empty Stocking Fund Recipients No. 6, are struggling as they begin the long recovery process.

Empty Stocking Fund Recipient No. 4 is raising three children, including a disabled toddler with cerebral palsy.
The single mother earns about $1,400 per month from her job at a rehabilitation facility in Amarillo.

A single father of two is determined to make a better life for his children. But for now, circumstances are bleak.
Empty Stocking Fund Recipient No. 3 is raising his two children, ages 3 and 8, after his wife abandoned the family.

Monthly bills are mounting for one single mother of three.
The woman, Empty Stocking Fund Recipient No. 2, struggles to get by living on a convenience store employee's wages. She shares an apartment with her children, ages 2, 5 and 8.

On Christmas morning, Hansford Manor in Spearman is bursting with childlike excitement. Wrapping paper is torn off gifts in each room as the facility's 60-plus residents open a gift prepared just for them.

A simple and heartfelt story of Christmas hope will return to the stage in Amarillo this season.
"Amahl and the Night Visitors," a one-act opera, has been a joint production of Amarillo Opera and Chamber Music Amarillo since 2012.

Helping others is the mission statement of Empty Stocking Fund Screening Committee.
The seven-member group is enlisted year after year to assist with Amarillo Globe-News' annual Empty Stocking Fund campaign.

It's called the most wonderful time of the year. But for many, not much cheer abounds during the holiday season.
Working families toil, unable to get through the stack of bills.Elderly couples depend on food pantries and thrift store coats.

Social action meets social media. As individuals consider coming together to give back to the community - especially during the holiday season - many organizations are making concerted efforts to leverage digital platforms to rally support.

Harrington String Quartet has more in mind than flappers for its season-opening concert Friday. Titled "The Roaring '20s," the performance will contain three works written in the '20s - the 1720s, the 1820s and the 1920s. The concert begins at 7:30 p.

Some might say Eveline Rivers-McCoy is defined by joy. The 70-year-old has lived more than half her life spreading cheer to families, especially children, in need. Contagiously friendly and always smiling, Rivers-McCoy exudes joviality.

Patti Haberthur has the day before Thanksgiving Day circled on her calendar.
That's the day of her final radiation therapy appointment. The day she leaves breast cancer in her past.
"We'll have much to be grateful for this year," she said.

A hawk flies against the background of a lush and rugged canyon scene as Laurie Higgins approaches a chestnut quarter horse.
The horse, Joe, steps toward Higgins solemnly, proudly, as a herd of more than 20 other horses roams in nearby pasture.

VIDEO | SLIDESHOW | The streets of downtown Amarillo were awash with shades of pink on Saturday morning. Thousands gathered for the 24th annual Susan G. Komen Greater Amarillo Race for the Cure, a 5K fundraising race for breast cancer research and awareness.